


Hit the Like Button

by elixirsoflife



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Community: HPFT, F/M, Fluff, James is a Dork, Lily is Cool, Not a Slow Burn Lmao, PURE INDULGENCE LETS BE REAL, Peter has anxiety, Singer Lily, Social Media Au - Sort of?, The Marauders - Freeform, Wolfstar Need to Get their Act Together, YouTuber Marauders, Youtuber AU, plot? what plot, pure fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-28 17:04:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15053831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elixirsoflife/pseuds/elixirsoflife
Summary: YouTube star James Potter is living it up at uni: filming videos, getting drunk and professing his love for aspiring singer Lily Evans to anyone who'll listen.[Alternatively: James is a dork and stumbles his way into loving his dream girl.]





	Hit the Like Button

**Author's Note:**

> hello, hi, how are you? if you've come here expecting plot, i'm sorry to disappoint you. i just really wanted to write a youtuber/social media au (of sorts) with the marauders. if you're looking for: dorky james, peter being a real member of the marauders, wolfstar dancing around each other, badass lily evans the real feminist and something lighthearted to pass your time, this is the place to be!!
> 
> it's not my best piece of work, but i'm throwing it out there bc #noragretz amirite

**The Marauders: WHY ON EARTH ARE FREDDOS 30P + GIVEAWAY**

2,296,093 views

 

11,223 comments

**mischiefmanaged – 21 hours ago**

lmao i swear to god the boys are high 95% of the time, there’s no way they’re this weird naturally

**danyisonfire – 1 day ago**

okay but did u see that look sirius gave remus at 3:47 WOLFSTAR IS REAL UGUIZE AND I’M 100% HERE FOR IT

**sirius is the true gay icon – 14 hours ago**

as someone from britain, this rant was like music to my ears. lily evans who?

**jenna on the offbeat – 2 hours ago**

okay but why is the thumbnail so dramatic like??? also i actually love it when james goes on a rant and his entire body shakes i get like another ten years added to my life

 

* * *

When James was sixteen years old, he developed a sudden love for videography. At the time, no one really batted an eye. He was the sort of person who picked up new hobbies in a heartbeat and then abandoned them just as quickly, his attention span too unstimulated to properly pursue it. He favoured intense bursts of only obsessing about one thing for a short period of time over slowly picking something up for the long run.

Except it turned out that James _really_ liked videography.

Enough to fork out for a ridiculously expensive camera that his parents tutted at and made Remus roll his eyes whenever he saw it; enough to drag it with him wherever he went; enough to almost constantly have his glasses smudged from pressing them to it every other odd minute until he finally invested in some contacts. He watched YouTube tutorials on different techniques and tricks almost religiously, experimenting with lighting and angles and changing the focus of the lens. He played about with filming short aesthetic montages he would spam the group chat with, Sirius hyping him up like there was no tomorrow. He tried it all.

In the end, however, he found that he liked filming best when it was _authentic._ Yes, there was something terribly pleasing about creating something that was satisfying to watch – the sun setting to a wistful melody perhaps, or a three minute video of a night out that could rival any music video – but the ones where the camera was shaking from his laughter and the fluorescent lights were a little too bright across Peter’s face as they messed about in the canteen were the best. Those were the ones that truly made him happy. His collection of them was _endless_.

One day, Remus commented offhandedly that they were good enough for YouTube.

By the end of the week, there was a new channel called The Marauders – named so because the videos he had were never really just about James, even if he was the man behind the camera – and a compilation of his favourite videos from the previous month up for viewing.

“I didn’t mean _actually_ put it up,” Remus said, exasperated. “Not when I look like a fucking mess anyway.”

But there was no use.

Because although James was the sort of person to pick up and drop hobbies in the time it took for people to decide their next meal, he was also a stubborn arse and YouTube was his calling. His mission in life. His one true path.

As he told his friends very dramatically when they discovered their antics were out on the internet for everyone to see, they were going to be famous – he could feel it in his balls.

Three years and just under four million subscribers later, his gut feeling proves to be right.

“I swear to God if you don’t get that camera out of my face right now,” says Remus without looking up from his Management of Disease notes. When all James does is snicker and zoom into his nostrils, Remus flips him the bird. “I’m going to break your camera, you know.”

James whips the camera back around to him, plastering on an unimpressed look. “Ladies and gentlemen. My marauding children, my mischievous little shits – “

“Only you would call our subscribers _little shits_ ,” comes the interruption from his friend.

“ – our boy Remus here has now threatened to break my camera for quite possibly the millionth time in a video. Any of you have a compilation of all the times he’s said it? I’d actually pay money to see that.”

“I can make one,” Peter pipes up from the corner of their computer cluster.

James jumps in his seat. “Fucking hell, Pete, I thought you were dead.”

“If only,” Remus deadpans.

“And that, ladies and gentlemen, my marauding children, my mischievous little shits – “

“ _For fuck’s sake._ ”

“ – is our boy Remus Lupin being extremely rude right now. You should be glad you’ve never met him in real life, he really is quite the atrocious excuse for a human being.”

The camera pans back to the boy in question, capturing his pained look perfectly. James already knows that it’ll be a hit with the fans; whenever there’s a clip of Remus looking 100% done with the world, the comment section always explodes. It’s a fandom favourite.

“Every day I ask myself why I decided to become friends with you.”

“Because of my dashing good looks?” James suggests. When all he receives is a withering glance, he juts his lips in a pout. “You’re too mean. I’ll have you know I am a real catch and in ten years’ time, I will be married to Lily Evans and we’ll see who’s laughing then.”

“You’re delusional.”

Peter speaks up from the corner again, “I don’t know, it might happen. He _is_ fairly well-known. Maybe she’s heard of him.” He pokes his head up from his slouch, round face peering through several layers of thin jumpers and an oversized black hoodie. His stubby fingers twitch towards a cup of cheap campus coffee.

“We’re YouTubers, not _Vodafone Top Forty Artists_.” As Remus speaks, James traces the path of an imaginary tear down his cheeks and pulls an ugly face into the camera. “But whatever, who am I to stop the boy from dreaming?”

His unsightly bawl melts into a beam. “Then it’s settled! Ten years from now, I am having a June wedding with the love of my life Lily Evans. No take-backs.” And with that, he snaps his fingers and shoots a wink into the camera.

 

* * *

**The Marauders: Freud Can Suck It & This Is Why**

1,859,300 views

 

9873 comments

**jessica the jezebel – 27 minutes ago**

i stan an intellectual king

**sirius is the true gay icon – 19 hours ago**

what cracks me up is that i always get the feeling that remus is the “intellectual” one as in the one most likely to upload a video about what he’s studying, but then sirius comes out and launches into a fifteen minute explanation of why freud is apiece of shit and this is all i’ve ever wanted in life 

**ellie james – 1 day ago**

amazing video!! clicked the notification as soon as it came and i was laughing in the first minute. lots of love from carlisle <333

 

* * *

A lot of people asked the Marauders why they bothered attending university. After all, they were YouTubers, weren’t they? They made a decent amount of profit off each video they uploaded, received fanmail and presents from those who decided to stick around – all things considered, they were a pretty successful bunch. Especially when considering that most of their videos were:

  1. a) fifteen minutes of random bits of their week (usually James being annoying, Peter nursing a cup of coffee with glazed eyes, Remus perfecting the art of killing by his will of mind alone, and Sirius unfailingly assisting James in the art being annoying.)
  2. b) someone taking to YouTube to rant about some insignificant thing or the other
  3. c) random pranks or dares they pulled out of their arses (the most popular being when Sirius shaved all nine point six inches of his hair off and then nearly cried.)



It didn’t help that Remus was the only one to pursue a ‘worthwhile’ degree out of the four of them, though that didn’t stop the boys from claiming he was into bestiality purely to piss him off.

(“For the last _fucking time_ ,” he says through gritted teeth, “I am not about to shag my future patients.”

“Oh, go and fist a cow, Lupin.”)

The truth is James loves YouTube, but he also knows that it can be a hot mess at the best of times. Though he’s pretty well-shielded from the drama since he interacts with practically no one, there’s no telling if or when things will take a sudden turn for the worst. It’s not feasible to think of YouTube as a long-term thing, not when he’s been born into this economy anyway.

Besides, YouTube is mostly a platform for him to show off his friends and wax poetic about Lily Evans or whatever else he does whenever he’s pissed.

He tells the camera this with a cheeky grin, eyes scrunching up in amusement. Beside him, Sirius snickers and rolls his eyes. “Who said our degrees are useless anyways?” he demands, slanting his eyebrows with faux anger. “I’ll have you know that my mother is _exceptionally proud_ of me for taking Philosophy.”

“By that he means she disowned him.”

Stars in his eyes, Sirius breathes, “It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

They burst into laughter.

Filming with Sirius is always like this. He won’t ever admit it to Remus or Peter, of course, but he secretly loves videos with Sirius the best. There’s a reason why they’re best mates, after all. They just bounce off each other’s energy, rowdy and excitable in a way that he can’t do with his calmer friends. Even a simple Q&A like this takes hours to film because they keep getting sidetracked by tangents or are laughing too hard to function.

He loves it.

When they’ve finally got the raw footage and the camera is tucked away, James collapses back onto his bed. “I’m hungry,” he declares, slipping a hand under his jumper to rub at his tummy.

Sirius pinches the skin there. “Let’s order in. I want noodles.”

“You always want noodles. It’s why Mum makes all _your_ favourite dishes instead of mine, even though I’m her son.”

“It’s also because I’m incredibly charming,” he brags.

At James’ disbelieving snort, he collapses onto him as distressingly heavy as possible. He might be shorter than James, but he’s packed dense and he knows just where to lean and place his elbows to maximise his ability to irritate. James squawks and tries to shove him away; he manages to get him three-quarters of the way off before he gives up. Cackling triumphantly, Sirius adjusts until he’s mostly on the mattress instead, a lone leg slung over James’.

“Love me,” he says plaintively.

James makes a face. “Pay for our food and I’ll consider it.”

“Ha, no,” he scoffs. “Fuck that.” A small pause followed by a groan of defeat. “Alright, _fine_ , I’ll do it! But if I do, you can’t kick me out of your bed the next time I come after a nightmare, alright? It’s actually so mean, I can’t even put it into words, I don’t care how asleep you are.”

“Deal.”

Neither of them moves. After a moment, Sirius says, “Yeah, I can’t be arsed finding my phone,” and they both agree to just starve instead.

 

* * *

 

**Lily Evan’s Debut Album ‘Dreamland’ Is Here: Stream It Now**  
  
Lily Evans is back. Last year, the YouTube star broke into the music scene with her hit single ‘Dorothy Gale’ which peaked at No.39 on the Vodafone Top 40 in the UK. She returns with her debut album _Dreamland_ , dropped digitally at midnight alongside the music video of its lead single ‘Lonely Town’.  
  
Consisting of eleven tracks, _Dreamland_ is rooted in alternative pop with an undercurrent of industrial themes. Evans shifts away from her whimsical, small-town girl airs with a debut reminiscent of Halsey or Lorde. Stream the album below.  
  
**Dreamland** ⭢ Lily Evans  
  
\- Intro: Down the Rabbit Hole  
\- Lonely Town  
\- Crush  
\- Glass Doll  
\- Pinky Promise  
\- Aurora  
\- Cartoon Eyes  
\- Queen of the Cliffs  
\- Letter to the Lost  
\- Dreamdust  
\- Dorothy Gale  
  
**Comments** **⯆**

 

* * *

James falls in love with Lily Evans two years before she drops her album.

He’s not actually in love with her. No matter how much he likes to joke about it, the truth is that he just admires her a lot. He used to listen to her covers of songs on YouTube on a daily basis – still does, to be honest – and her other videos felt like they were sent from God. Whether it was a small skit or five minutes of Lily Evans sat on her bed, cat on her lap as she chatted away, James was hooked. On camera, her personality was so charming and real that he couldn’t help the squeeze of his pathetic little heart whenever she popped a cheeky smile, winked and ended the video.

His friends like to tease him about his love for the aspiring singer. Sirius and Remus almost exclusively listen to brit rock, band t-shirts and intimate concerts their preferred splurges, while Peter, in an odd twist that no one really saw coming, only bothers with classical music since it helps his anxiety. It’s just James who has an embarrassingly soft spot for music like Lily Evans’ and so James who bears the brunt of the taunts. Not that he particularly minds them.

A voice like that _deserves_ to be heard and loved, okay.

Which is why, when Lily Evans drops the link to her album on Twitter, he’s all over that thing.

_All. Over. It._

Part of him contemplates livestreaming his reaction because that level of extra is all he ever is really, but he manages to rein himself in before he gets carried away. No one needs to see him embarrass himself like that. He’s sure Sirius will personally never let him live it down if he goes ahead with that whim.

He settles for live-tweeting his reaction instead.

 **@jamespthemarauder** **✓**

So Lily Evans has released #Dreamland and I’m pretty sure I’m about to have a spiritual awakening. I’d apologise for the flood of tweets you’re about to all get but I’m so not sorry lmao

 **@jamespthemarauder** **✓**

Two seconds into the intro and I’ve already ascended to a new plane of existence

 **@jamespthemarauder** **✓**

(But rlly all she’s doing is reading a passage of Alice in the Wonderland and?? I’m so here for it?? My wife is intellectual pls take notes.)

 **@jamespthemarauder** **✓**

Okay so I was planning on tweeting throughout each song but Lonely Town hit so hard and I kind of forgot how to function. I’m just. Wow.

 **@jamespthemarauder** **✓**

I think Crush might be my favourite tho

 **@jamespthemarauder** **✓**

I lied. Glass Doll is my favourite. Just. Oh my God.

 **@jamespthemarauder** **✓**

Sirius just told me to shut up because apparently his notifications keep waking him up but honestly??? I can’t be contained. Catch me listening to this album all night

 **@jamespthemarauder** **✓**

Lily Evans just swore in Pinky Promise and I have never been more attracted to someone in my life lmao

For forty minutes, James keeps up a steady stream of tweets as he blows through Lily Evans’ album on Spotify, his Exercise Biochemistry notes forgotten on his desk. True to form, his followers take to the endeavour enthusiastically, sharing their own thoughts or just flat-out amusement at his reaction. His admiration for her is as established a fandom staple as Remus’ deadpan expressions so most of the replies are in the general vein of _I knew I could count on you to be this extra_ or _as soon as I saw she’d dropped her album, I came straight here to see what was being said by Lily’s number one fanboy haha!_

And despite knowing that his friends will tease him endlessly about it for the next week, James can’t bring himself to regret it.

Especially when, two hours later when he’s finally finished his studying and is stumbling into bed, his screen flashes up with a row of notifications:

 **@lilyevans** **✓**

@jamespthemarauder Haha thanks for the support!! Glad you like the album <3

**@lilyevans liked your tweets**

**@lilyevans followed you**

James drops his phone and screams.

 

* * *

 

 

 **Lily Evans: Dreamland Album Review**  
  
Nineteen-year-old Lily Evans is the latest in a recent wave of YouTube personalities-cum-wannabe Billboard artists who has cultivated a dedicated following through social media. Following the success of her single ‘Dorothy Gale’ last year, her debut album arrives with much fanfare, though it unfortunately falls flat during its second half. Uninspired production is to blame here; the aggression that powers its first few tracks simply isn’t sustained as the album closes.  
  
_Dreamland_ opens with a hypnotic, almost psychedelic recitation of a passage from _Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland_. Evans’ honeyed voice sets the theme for the album, painting a picture of a small-town girl, much like herself, who hungers for something to break the monotony of her listless life. The rest of the album explores her escape down this ‘rabbit hole’ and the constant threat of reality piercing the illusion.  
  
“Towns like this kill girls like me,” she accuses, referring to the lacklustre streets of her hometown, Cokeworth. “Wrap their hands about my throat, make me forget how to breathe.” Ultimately, the lead single, ‘Lonely Town’, is an ambitious project of electro-angst that packs a punch, though it’s ‘Glass Doll’ where Evans truly shines. The trip-hop track is three minutes of visceral anger at the unfair treatment of women in media. “Big eyes, small waist, your mouth sewn shut,” she sings. “God, you look so f*cking glamorous.”  
  
Each razor-sharp barb about society is accompanied by a foray into the surreal landscape of her innermost desires. ‘Crush’ is an ode to her innocent feelings for old flames, the former best friend with “henna on her hands, wind in her hair” and the boy with “bruised skin and vodka lips”. Its dreamy nostalgia is off-set by gritty industrial undertones to ground the listener in the here and now. The penultimate track ‘Dreamdust’ is its less ambitious sister, however, hazy vocals overpowered by discordant and clunky guitar riffs, and its lyrics succumb to clichés.  
  
Though the album is ultimately let down by its closing tracks, Lily Evans’ debut is certainly assertive and defiant enough to grab attention. Her challenging musical direction contrasts with a public persona of charisma and cheek, giving her an edge over her fellow aspiring YouTube stars. The question here lies in whether she’s yet ready for it.   
  
**Comments** **⯆**

* * *

 

 

For people with a few million subscribers, the Marauders spend a surprising amount of time in the library.

“We’re honestly really pathetic,” says Remus after a particularly dry three-hour session of studying. Outside, a rare winter sun smiles weakly at the students who have braved the cold and the faint blue of the sky calls out to them enticingly. The four boys look back with heavy hearts. “It’s Friday and we’ve been here all afternoon.”

“I hate my course,” James agrees. He likes to claim this at least twice a week. “I can’t believe I have another two years of this bullshit.”

Sirius scoffs. “Speak for yourself. My course is actually interesting.” He shoots James an unimpressed look over a passage about existentialism (because he’s nothing if not a walking cliché) as if he didn’t initially choose Philosophy solely to piss off his parents.

“Go fuck yourself.”

“Thanks for the suggestion, but I’d rather have Remus do it.”

Remus, who is sipping absently on Peter’s coffee, chokes. He hastily drops the cup back next to its owner and scowls. “You’re so fucking annoying, you know that?”

Smirking, Sirius shoots him a wink and goes back to highlighting his textbook. Trapped in between them, James grimaces and wonders for the nth time when the two are going to get over themselves to finally start dating. They’ve been dancing around each other since Year Nine – it’s so indiscreet that even their fans have picked up on it.

(Once, he asked Sirius why he doesn’t just ask Remus out instead of blatantly checking out his arse in his favourite pair of acid-washed skinny jeans.

“Um because that means he wins,” he said like it was obvious. “Why the fuck would I let _Lupin_ win something instead of me?”

It was at that point that James, not for the first nor the last time in his life, questioned his choice in friends.)

After so many years, he knows there’s no use in bringing the point up again, however, so he pushes past the stifling sexual tension and proposes, “Why don’t we go out tonight? We’ll leave the camera at home, just go to The Hippogriff and make a night of it. C’mon, it’ll be fun.”

The suggestion is met with immediate enthusiasm from Sirius and some fake as fuck reluctance from Remus who everyone knows can drink half the university under the table without batting an eyelid. It’s Peter who is much more genuine in his hesitance, watery eyes darting up from his textbook and chapped lips under two large teeth.

“I don’t know, guys…” he grimaces. “I don’t – you know I’m not good with that kind of stuff.” He fiddles with a loose thread on the sleeve of his hoodie.

“Aw, come on, Pete,” says Sirius. He leans over to smack him on the back in a gesture of boyish camaraderie. “Don’t be such a wet blanket.”

“I’m not a wet blanket,” he protests, biting his lip even harder as Remus yanks Sirius’ arm away from the poor boy’s back and hisses, “This is why we don’t let you speak, idiot.”

While Remus reins in his best mate, James shoots Peter his friendliest smile. According to his mum, he has a lovely smile, by the way. She claims that it naturally sets everyone in the room at ease. Of course, when she says it, she’s usually cussing him out for always using it to wriggle himself out of trouble.

“Don’t worry, mate. I won’t even drink that much and we can head home any time you feel uncomfortable, yeah? Besides The Hippogriff’s not too crowded. Everyone’s either down at Rosmerta’s or trying to get into The Manor. We’ll be alright.”

Still unsure, Peter draws back into the safety of his hoodie. Just as James is about to take pity on him and suggest something else, something settles in his expression and he nods.

“I guess it doesn’t hurt to try,” he says.

Smile now a full-blown grin, James lands a playful punch on his upper arm. “Nice one, mate. We’ll have fun, you’ll see.”

Evening plans now agreed upon, they return to their studying with significantly higher spirits. The next hour and a half flies by, the monotony of their required reading replaced with an anticipatory buzz that appears to linger in the air. By the time they finally call it quits, they’ve almost entirely given up on even appearing to be focused; Sirius, ever the slacker, even opts to stream an episode of _Stranger Things_ instead of reading up on Nietzsche.

They exit the library to a winter chill, the wind greedily biting at any exposed stretch of skin as they struggle uphill towards the student housing. Nose buried in his scarf, James curses the day he decided to leave home for his university experience; sometimes, he swears his balls are going to fall off from the cold. Of course, it doesn’t help that all of the native northerners walk around like they don’t even notice that the weather has been imported directly from the seventh circle of hell. Smug bastards, the lot of them.

“I’m hungry,” Peter mumbles the closer they draw to a string of shitty takeaways situated conveniently close to the student houses. “The last time I ate was, like, ten o’clock.”

“Yeah, let’s get some food,” Sirius agrees, veering towards one of the more reliable establishments. Grease pours from the place so enticingly that James’ mouth waters as if on cue. “Peter can pay since he suggested it.”

“What? No, I didn’t!”

Remus rolls his eyes and lightly shoves Sirius over the little step in front of the Indian takeaway. “You are literally the stingiest richest brat I’ve ever met. You’re paying.”

“You’re killing me, Remus,” he sighs with a pout that tells them all he’s already agreed to it. At the sight of it, James snickers and coughs under his breath about how whipped Sirius is, only to have the boy in question slip his ice-cold, bony as fuck fingers under the cover of his scarf to pinch at his neck. Ignoring his yelp, Sirius smiles, wide and fake. “You’re a piece of shit, you know that?”

This time, it’s his turn to pout. Shoving the shorter boy away from him, he says, “Fine. See if I let you sleep in my bed the next time you have a bad dream.”

“No, wait, sorry baby, I love you.”

Snickering vindictively, James dodges the grabby gestures and collapses in the nearest booth. Dutiful as ever, Peter follows suit, narrowly avoiding the tear in the garishly red upholstery. His short, stubby fingers play with it as the two sit in peaceful silence. In the background, Remus and Sirius bicker over what to order between the four of them. What James can hear of the conversation is uncomfortably flirty, so he thanks his lucky stars he’s not part of it.

“You’re not bringing the camera, right?” Peter breaks the quiet. Pale blue eyes dart off the side of James’ face. His front teeth resume their familiar position over his lower lip. “It’s just going to be casual?”

He nods slowly, knowing that this is only the first of many times he will have to reassure the other boy. When James was younger and more immature, when Peter’s worries didn’t have a name and used to be written off as merely being cowardly, he was less accommodating towards this. But they’ve grown since then. At a few months’ shy of twenty, James knows that Peter doesn’t do any of this on purpose.

“Camera’s staying at home,” he confirms. “I just want to chill and let loose, you know? You won’t need to save face for the fans.”

That’s a lesson that they slowly learnt over time, that they’re still coming to terms with, to be honest. Once people start really noticing you, it’s natural to feel like there’s a standard to be met, that there’s a support base to constantly feed and impress. But the truth is that, though The Marauders might bring in some money, at its heart it’s still just a fun little project. Sometimes they have to remember to put down the camera and step away from the channel.

Sometimes they have to live for themselves.

* * *

  

**The Marauders: Book Recommendations (Winter 2017)**

1,347,002 views

 

7338 comments

**myg_gloss – 15 hours ago**

this video’s wonderful and all but i was checking out remus’ hands throughout the entire video they’re so nice?? like they look so hot holding books but i would also lowkey love them just as much if he punched me in the face with them wow. EDIT: thanks for the likes everyone! didn’t expect this comment to get so popular haha XD

**dearborn – 10 minutes ago**

such prowess! such intellect! such charisma! my boner can’t take it pls stop

 **↳** **the marauders – 2 minutes ago**

omg caradoc shut the fuck up - rjl

**sirius is the true gay icon – 12 hours ago**

me: it’s a solo video, there is literally nothing to analyse here

my shipping ass: okay so you know how he recommends the raven boys, aristotle and dante discover the secrets of the universe and svtha, well they all feature gay af couples, two of them PRETTY HEAVILY so at the very least we have an ally on our hands but lbr here remus is in love with sirius and they are meant to be together forever i love soulmates i love love

**baberaham lincoln – 2 hours ago**

i love the raven boys! such a good series! stanning all the way from missouri xx

 

* * *

To be honest, James expects a few things to happen tonight.

For one, he expects Sirius to drink more than he’s capable of, thus draping himself all over Remus, lips loose and giggling and just generally being far too handsy with whatever body part he can reach of the other boy. He expects Remus to knock back his liquor like a champ and humour the man he’s in love with by embarrassing himself on the dance floor. He expects Peter to camp out at the bar, content to feed off the club’s energy while staying out of the thick of the action, a few shots by his hand.

He expects the heady exhilaration of a Friday night out, expects to get tipsier than he intended, even expects that girl vomiting at the entrance, her friends pulling her hair back from her face.

But he doesn’t expect to meet Lily Evans.

It happens when he’s stumbled out of the crowd, sweat sticking his t-shirt to his upper body, throat flexing for some drink, and heads to the bar. Peter’s chatting away to one of his course mates from his Digital Forensics unit so James settles a little way down from them, too much alcohol in him to entertain such technical conversation. Just as his hand rises in the air to beckon a bartender, he hears the call of his name, turned high with inquisition.

When he turns his head to the left, he nearly chokes. “Oh my fuck,” he manages. “You’re Lily Evans.”

Lily Evans laughs. “That’s right, I am. And you’re James Potter. From The Marauders YouTube channel.”

“You know who I am?” he says a little dazedly. As she chuckles again, husky and warm, he remembers that of course, she knows who he is – she follows him on Twitter, after all. He screamed the flat down when it happened. She’s bound to have at least looked him up. Shaking his head clear of the fog of insobriety, he offers a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I’m not in… the best state of mind right now.”

“I can see,” she comments, but it’s with amusement. “It’s nice to meet you, by the way. According to your videos, you’ve supported me for a while now.”

His face loses colour and he squeaks, “Oh my God, you’ve seen that?”

“Yeah. It’s pretty c – “

“ _Embarrassing._ Pretty embarrassing, oh God. How did I forget you could one day see the videos? I must seem like such a creep to you, I’m so sorry.”

Lily Evans dismisses his apologies with a careless wave. She seems so cool doing it that he can only stare at her in awe. “Nah, it’s cute. You’re cute.” A broad grin slowly spreads over her face as red enters his.

“Um. I.”

“You?” she prompts when he flails about for words.

“Er, I. I’m a lot smoother than this, I promise. It’s just that you’re – really pretty and I’m really not in the right state of mind for this.”

For the first time since he laid eyes on her, Lily Evans blushes. She still smiles at him with the steady sort of confidence he swears he has (when he’s not ambushed in a club, that is), but the low lighting can’t quite hide the pink flush to her cheeks. The romantic in James sings about how beautiful it looks against the auburn of her hair; the rest of him screams that he, a lowly peasant rat, just managed to make possibly the most beautiful girl he’s ever seen blush.

“You’re doing fine, I’d say,” she says softly. She shifts her legs on the barstool so that she’s a little closer to him and scans the chaos behind them. “So where are the rest of the boys? Or am I getting you all to myself?”

“I…” His brain needs to delay the explosion until morning. “Sirius and Remus are flirting on the floor. Peter’s being all smart behind us over there.”

Lily Evans glances over his shoulder at the boy in question and smiles. “Aw, he looks sweet. But what’s so smart about having a conversation?”

“It’s more the content of the conversation, really. Emmaline and Peter take Ethical Hacking which is very smart and technical, and I understand about 1% of their conversations to be frank.”

“Ethical Hacking? That’s so cool!”

Really, James can’t help his pout when he mumbles petulantly, “Sports Science and Physio is cool too.” At the fond look Lily Evans sends him, he coughs a little self-consciously. “Not as cool as releasing an album though. Congratulations on that by the way! _Lonely Town_ is at 30 on the charts, right?”

“Yeah, it’s insane.” She laughs a little disbelievingly. “I can hardly believe it myself. The response has been amazing, not going to lie.”

James offers her a smile, big and somewhat proud. Though the album isn’t without its criticisms, most people have taken to Lily Evans’ debut like moths to a flame, especially those in the indie scene. He suspects her music video – which shows her on the dismal streets of Cokeworth, kissing strawberry juice off the actor portraying her former girlfriend – goes a long way too. Representation always matters, after all.

It makes him wonder what she’s doing in a place like this. Surely someone making a name for themselves shouldn’t be in a student club like The Hippogriff on a Friday night? Shouldn’t she prefer a different scene?

Apparently, Lily Evans hasn’t gotten the memo. She sits at the bar with James, their drinks forgotten, and chats away with him. As the two get to know each other more – beyond the lens of an expensive camera, beyond the dirty bass of a song, beyond the tentative interactions on Twitter – she becomes less like Lily Evans, talented YouTube star turned singer, and more like Lily. And Lily is a girl in a leather jacket and a ruby skirt, rings glittering on her fingers and lips painted peach with a really sweet laugh.

James really likes Lily.

He likes her a lot.

And he thinks that she might like him back because eventually, she hops off her stool, holds out her hand invitingly and asks, “Want to be cliché protagonists in an overbudgeted romance and explore the night with me?”

James grins and takes it.

* * *

  

**The Marauders: Studying and Exam Tips for Stressed Students!**

1,224,590 views

 

7340 comments

**heronstairs – 7 hours ago**

HONESTLY I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY PETER DOESN’T GET MORE VIEWS?? HE DESERVES THEM SO MUCH, THIS BABE HAS ANXIETY AND HAS MENTIONED FEELIGN INADEQUATE COMPARED TO THE OTHER MARAUDERS BEFORE AND YOU GUYS. KEEP. SLEEPING. ON HIM. *screams in german*

**sana darzi – 16 hours ago**

This was really helpful actually! Especially #3. I’m about to sit some GCSEs in January so I’ve been freaking out. Thank you for calming me down! <3

**james potter owns my ass – 3 hours ago**

peter’s gotten a lot more confident, you guys! it really shows in this video, i’m so proud xx

 

* * *

James checks in with the others first, of course.

Understandably, Peter reacts to it with some visible stress, but Emmaline swoops in to save the day, assuring him that she’ll stick by his side and take him home when he wants. As for Remus and Sirius, a heads-up over text suffices for them because Lord knows James doesn’t want to interrupt whatever mating call they’re probably embroiled in at the moment.

And just like that, James stumbles out of the club to explore the night like cliché protagonists in an overbudgeted romance with Lily.

Bouncing in her Converse highs as they walk hand in hand through the city, Lily guides them through streets, carefree and weightless. One second, they’re running aimlessly down the streets, arms open wide and breaths escaping them in soft clouds; the next, they’re invading a cheap takeaway and ordering the weirdest combinations of food they can stomach (though their bowels will likely hate them for it later). They even order only one drink so they can squeeze in two straws at the same time. In the middle of staring each other down, Lily laughs so hard she snorts Sprite up her nose.

They squish onto a bench, laying incredibly close for two people who only met this evening, to stare up at the sky and try to scour it for constellations until they finally admit that the clouds and pollution make it a pointless endeavour. She takes purposefully blurry selfies as they swagger through the streets. He stops her at the smallest puddle known to man to carry her over it.

They even travel twenty minutes out to the nearest park with a kids’ area to unleash their inner children. Lily proves that she can jump off the swing and land safely from a scarily dangerous height; James shows off what little strength he has in his noodle arms on the monkey bars, silently proud that he actually managed to make it all the way across. Later, he pours sand down her back and then she shoves him into the pit itself, laughing so hard she trips over his legs and falls soon after.

Finally worn out from their adventure, the two take a moment to rest. After some shuffling and murmured apologies, they settle on a position where Lily’s head rests on his bicep, the fingers of her right hand reaching over to curl up on his stomach. The proximity makes his heart stutter a little, but for the most part, it’s steady. A pleasant buzz envelopes it with a murmur of contentment.

“This was nice,” says Lily. “I can see why the cliché protagonists do this.”

James nods. “It’s because I’m here,” he jokes arrogantly. “In case you didn’t realise, I’m brilliant.”

Scoffing lightly, Lily smacks his chest with no real force. “I think I liked it better when you forgot how to speak.”

“Wow.” He sucks in an incredulous gasp. “Like that ever happened. Lies. Propaganda. Slander. Have you no shame in yourself for creating such a thing?”

“You’re such a dork.”

She tilts her head back to peer up at him, eyes bright with warmth. Even though they’ve known each other for a matter of hours, the look settles something in him, makes him feel a little like he’s discovered a part of home he didn’t even realise was gone. It’s stupid, he knows this, because no one falls in love within hours. But lying down in a sandpit on the edge of town, winter blossoming all around them, he thinks that he could.

Fall in love with Lily Evans, that is.

“Yeah,” he says, voice coming out softer than he intends, “I am. But you like it.”

Lily reaches up and tweaks his nose. “Damn right I do.” She settles back in his arms and stays there.

 

* * *

**The Marauders: The Real Uni Experience**

2,890,312 views

 

13,618 comments

**sirius is the true gay icon – 2 days ago**

i love that the real uni experience is sirius breaking the snack machine, peter pouring red bull into his coffee as james screams at him not to, remus looking hot af in his uniform, and james looking like he wants to die at every 9am lecture 

**my boyfriend’s not as cool as me – 1 day ago**

my friend said that james is secretly dating lily evans??? is that true?? bc if so, they are literally the hottest couple i’ve ever seen omg

**naomi latimer – 5 hours ago**

someone please make a meme out of james’ scream when peter knocks back that coffee i want it tattooed on my face and engraved on my tombstone

 

* * *

Dating Lily is amazing.

It’s lying in bed as they binge-watch _Love Island_ on his laptop and criticise everything everyone does. It’s painting her toenails burnt orange while she flicks through his flashcards and quizzes him on Environmental Exercise Physiology. It’s attempting to cook a fancy pasta dish in his kitchen, accidentally setting the pan on fire and making grilled cheese toasties instead. It’s cuppas as he studies and re-enacting wrestling moves in the living room and sloppy kisses in the shower.

Dating Lily Evans is significantly harder.

It’s the tug of his heartstrings when she launches her first tour. It’s watching her performances with the biggest smile in his arsenal and never being able to properly articulate how and why he’s so proud of her. It’s not getting too close in public, it’s shoving his hand into the pockets of his joggers when they itch to reach out to her, it’s passing off their dates as friendly get-togethers with the gang.

But then someone snaps a picture of them snogging outside his place at two in the morning and the plan to keep everything on the down low is shot to pieces.

“I’m so sorry,” Lily says the morning after when articles about him are plastered all over the internet. There’s a whole lot of information in them as well, no thanks to the YouTube channel that provides an ample view into his life. “I should’ve been more careful. I didn’t want you to get caught up in any of this.”

James offers her a smile, small and genuine. “Don’t worry about it,” he says with a shrug. “I don’t mind.”

“Really?”

Ever expressive, her eyes round with uncertainty. Unable to help himself, he reaches over to cup her face, thumbs sweeping across her cheeks reassuringly. The freckles littered there pop against the pale white as if to say hello. His smile deepens until the faint imprint of a dimple next to the right corner of his mouth creeps into existence.

“Of course not,” he reassures her. “I’m in love with you, aren’t I? Why would I care what the rest of the world says when that’s all that matters?”

Lily sighs, “You’re so naïve,” but it’s more grateful than condescending. She relaxes into his hold and happiness plays about her lips. “I love you.”

“Kind of hard not to,” he teases. As she rolls her eyes, he drops a kiss down to her mouth. Pulling back, he says, “You know… my fans will probably be a little upset we didn’t say anything.”

Immediately, her face falls. “Oh, James, I’m so sorry, I didn’t even think about that – “

“It’s alright, don’t worry about it. They’re an understanding lot, my little shits. All we have to do is an official video to clear things up and we’ll be good to go. Does that sound alright with you?”

He looks at her carefully, knowing that sometimes she has to run these things by her manager first, but she’s already in the process of nodding. Heart swelling with gratitude, he pulls her into his arms properly and squeezes her tight, ignoring her indignant squawk. She bats half-heartedly at his chest before melting into him. Thin arms wrap around his back and she adjusts until her nose is less squashed against his frame.

“We can do it later today if you want?” she suggests.

He sweeps a hand down her back. “It’s up to you really. It’ll be your first time on the channel so I want you to be comfortable.”

“I’m comfortable,” she says honestly. When she speaks, the waves of her voice vibrate against his collarbones. “Your fans are really nice. A lot of them are mine too since you go on about me so much.”

James grins. “Well, I have to brag about my girl somehow, don’t I?” When she pinches his side, he laughs and detangles from her. “Come on, love. Let’s go try to make breakfast and accidentally burn the toast so that Remus storms out of his bedroom to make it for us before we set the house on fire.”

 

* * *

**Lily Evans and Boyfriend James Potter Open Up About Relationship**  
  
When Lily Evans was spotted kissing her now-confirmed boyfriend of a year, James Potter, fans across the world couldn’t make up their minds on how to react. For some, it was an unpleasant wake-up call that the twenty-one-year-old British singer is off the market; for others, it was a confirmation of a suspicion long established in the fandom.  
  
PETALS have often speculated about the true nature of Evans’ relationship with the YouTube star and full-time university student. Spotted together several times over the past year, the two remained stubbornly tight-lipped about just what they really were to each other. Good news everyone! There’s no need to wonder anymore. In fact, the couple recently took to YouTube to answer any curious questions themselves.  
  
Since early 2016, Potter has been a dedicated fan of Evans having discovered her through her covers on YouTube. She, however, was not aware of him until his thread on Twitter where he reviewed (read: gushed over) each track in her debut album, _Dreamland_ , and began trending nation-wide. Though the two followed each other on the social media site, it wasn’t until a couple of weeks later that sparks truly flew.  
  
A chance meeting in a club gave them the chance to connect face-to-face. The two hit it off straight away, flirting all evening until they left the club to run about town like “two idiots from a cliché romance who were hopelessly in love” as Evans herself put it. In the video, Potter reveals that it was all very effortless.  
  
“It was easy to follow her then,” he confesses, “and even easier to fall in love with her.”  
  
Adorable, right? If you all suddenly feel a lot more rubbish about your love lives, we understand.  
  
From there on, the two danced around each other until her twentieth birthday where they welcomed the then-most successful year of Evans’ life to date with burnt lasagne and a kiss. They’ve been going strong ever since.  
  
_Watch the original video on YouTube here._  
  
**Comments** **⯆**

* * *

 

 

**BONUS**

“James.” The door cracks open quietly. “James are you awake?”

When no answer comes, Sirius opens the door just wide enough to slip through the gap, light from the hallway streaming in after him, and pads silently over to the lump on the bed. It’s larger than usual, but he pays that no mind.

Hand wrapped around his best friend’s shoulder, he starts to shake him up. “James. James. _James, you piece of shit._ Wake the fuck up. James!”

“Hmm whuzzit,” comes the eventual reply. Without opening his eyes, the barely conscious boy swipes at the hand on his shoulder and sinks further under the duvet. “I didn’t steal it, I promise.”

Scowling, Sirius yanks him harder. “Move _up,_ you prat. I had a nightmare and I don’t want to sleep by myself.” He tries to pull the covers up to create an opening to get in.

James clutches onto them tighter. At long last, he squints up at Sirius and says, “You _are_ aware Lily is right here, right? Like. I am currently in bed with my girlfriend.”

“I don’t _care._ I was here first.”

“No, you weren’t?”

“I meant in your life,” he hisses. “Now budge up and let me in, you prick. And before you say anything, no, I will not go to Remus’ room. His feet are cold and he always hogs the goddamn covers.”

“Sirius, are you honestly suggesting you’re going to sleep in the same bed as me and my girlfriend – “

“I’m your best friend!”

“ – like you don’t think that’s a _little_ weird or anything – “

“For fuck’s sake,” breathes another voice. Poking her head up from the pillow, Lily Evans glares at the two boys with sleepy eyes. For someone who barely skims five three, she looks particularly vicious. “Both of you shut up. I’m trying to sleep and you keep yapping away.”

“I’ve been trying to tell him to go away,” James starts.

“I – don’t – care. Just move closer to me and let the idiot in the bed so we can all go to sleep.”

James gapes at her. “I…” he begins before he shakes his head. “You know what, I don’t even care. So what if I suffocate to death? Sirius, just get in.”

With that, he scoots up until he’s pressed tight against Lily. His girlfriend slings her leg over his hip, adjusting until her head rests on his shoulder and most of her body weighs into his left side. To his right, Sirius giggles gleefully and slots himself into James’ arms. The three settle down into silence and stuffy heat.

After a moment, Sirius says, “This is cosy, don’t you think?”

“Shut the fuck up, Black.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://elixirsoflife.tumblr.com) | []()[twitter](https://twitter.com/dirigibleplums3)
> 
> here's a fun game: how many references to other fandoms did you get? ;) full list is [here](http://elixirsoflife.tumblr.com/post/175256483179/all-the-references-in-hit-the-like-button) for fun. also - bc i get unnecessarily attached to my characters/worlds - i will probably be putting up some fun tidbits to do with this 'verse on tumblr under [+this](http://elixirsoflife.tumblr.com/tagged/youtuber-au) tag if you're interested
> 
> cr. to emma for the "fist a cow" line (remus is training to be a vet in this fic btw) which came about after i took to twitter to discuss what the marauders might take at uni
> 
> <3


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